In the inner chamber of the palace, Bairen was still curled up on the bed with his back facing outwards, just as he was when Qi Xiao had slammed the door and left. His already thin body looked even more pitiful. Qi Xiao clenched his fists tightly. Bairen had been tied up by him for nearly two hours now...

Qi Xiao took off his cloak and slowly walked over. Hearing his approach, Bairen slowly closed his eyes without saying a word.

Qi Xiao's eyes reddened. He sat on the bed and gently turned Bairen over to face him. Bairen's eyes were half-closed as he said softly, "If you have such intentions, you might as well just kill me... Otherwise, I will bite my tongue and end my life rather than suffer this humiliation."

Qi Xiao closed his eyes briefly without responding. He simply took the life talisman he had been clutching and slowly tied it around Bairen's waist.

Although Bairen was a hostage, he had grown up pampered and revered since childhood. He had never suffered such grievances before. After being tied up by Qi Xiao for half a day, he felt disheartened and even had thoughts of ending his life.

Because of that past transaction, he no longer avoided intimacy with Qi Xiao. Later, harboring other intentions, he became even more forthright. Although the two had never consummated their relationship, Bairen knew in his heart what would happen. If it were any other time, Bairen would have acquiesced.

But after their quarrel today, Bairen could not bring himself to submit no matter what. Feeling Qi Xiao fiddling with something at his waist, Bairen looked up. His eyes instantly turned red as realization dawned on him. Qi Xiao knew everything!

Bairen felt both shame and anger. He desperately tried to turn away, but he was no match for Qi Xiao's strength to begin with, let alone with his hands and feet bound. Unable to break free, Bairen angrily shouted, "Let me go! If you don't want it anymore, then throw it away. Let me go... Let me go!!"

Qi Xiao pursed his thin lips and securely fastened the life talisman around Bairen's waist. Only after tying it tightly did he raise his head to look at Bairen without saying a word. He held Bairen down to stop his struggling while untying the restraints.

Bairen's face flushed crimson. He had taken advantage of the fact that no one here recognized life talismans to pass it off as an ordinary jade pendant to give to Qi Xiao.

Reserved by nature, he never showed his emotions in front of others. Now that his secret was exposed under these circumstances, he wished he could smash his head and die. He kept struggling desperately. It took Qi Xiao quite some effort to finally free Bairen's hands and feet.

As soon as he was released, Bairen immediately tried to untie the talisman at his waist. But his hands had been bound for too long and had no strength left. Watching Bairen's tear-filled eyes and trembling hands fumbling with the talisman, Qi Xiao felt like a blunt knife was repeatedly stabbing his heart, the pain penetrating to his core.

Qi Xiao stepped forward and wrapped Bairen in his arms, holding down his arms to stop him from struggling further. He said hoarsely, "Don't take it off, don't..."

Bairen was furious with humiliation. Like a small trapped beast, he no longer cared about maintaining any dignity. He flailed with both his hands and feet, struggling with all his might.

Qi Xiao did not fight back or argue. He just kept holding Bairen tightly in his embrace. His mouth, usually so eloquent in debates, could not utter anything else at this moment besides repeatedly pleading, "Don't take it off, don't take it off..."

Bairen was not a woman. No matter how weak, his punches landing on Qi Xiao were real. Qi Xiao let out a muffled groan but held Bairen even tighter, burying his face in the crook of Bairen's neck. He said in a low voice, "If you're angry, then hit me... Hit me until you're not angry anymore..."

With Qi Xiao's words, Bairen actually stopped. Seeing Bairen motionless for a while, Qi Xiao raised his head to look at him, only to find tears streaming down Bairen's face.

Qi Xiao's heart ached terribly. He said with a pained voice, "If you're mad, take it out on me, don't be like this..."

Bairen's eyes were bloodshot as he choked out, "You hit me, and tied me up..."

Since coming to the imperial city, although Qi Xiao had schemed against him, most of the time he treated Bairen well. From initial wariness to later affection, Bairen sensed that Qi Xiao's feelings for him were no longer just about their original transaction.

After today's outburst, Bairen suddenly didn't dare believe in anything anymore. Now, he desperately missed home and his mother.

Qi Xiao's heart felt like it was shattering. He held Bairen and kept coaxing, "I was rash and muddled-headed earlier. Let me see... Did the ropes hurt you?"

Qi Xiao lifted Bairen's sleeves to examine his wrists. Even in his rage, Qi Xiao had restrained himself for fear of injuring Bairen. He had used wide strips of cloth, so although there were red marks on Bairen's wrists, the skin wasn't broken. But it was still enough to make Qi Xiao's heart ache.

Qi Xiao wanted to go find medicine, but he was afraid leaving Bairen alone would make him feel even more aggrieved. He had no choice but to call loudly for someone outside to bring the medicine in. Hearing this, Bairen cried even harder, his face flushed red with anger. He said urgently, "You... you want others to come in and see me like this..."

Helpless, Qi Xiao could only have the medicine left at the door of the bedchamber and fetch it himself. He warmed the medicine over an incense burner and massaged it into Bairen's wrists. Bairen kept crying. Once his wrists regained some strength, he pushed Qi Xiao away and again tried to remove the life talisman at his waist.

Qi Xiao was at his wit's end. He grabbed Bairen and held him tight, "Don't make a fuss... If you're angry, take it out on me. Don't touch that. Bairen, Bairen!"

Bairen's breath hitched as he sobbed, "I don't want it..."

Qi Xiao lowered his head and kept kissing Bairen's tear-stained cheeks, pleading over and over, "Don't be like this... Listen to me, today was my fault. I'll make it up to you, alright? You wear the talisman I gave you. Let me, Qi Xiao, accept death in your stead. Use it to punish me for not distinguishing right from wrong and letting you down. Alright?"

"I don't need you to!"

With his arms restrained by Qi Xiao, Bairen couldn't move. He bit down on Qi Xiao's shoulder. But Qi Xiao seemed not to feel any pain and just kept coaxing softly, "Don't be angry anymore, don't be angry anymore..."

Although furious, Bairen couldn't bring himself to truly hurt Qi Xiao. He soon let go, his heart growing even heavier. He cared so much about Qi Xiao, but Qi Xiao treated him like this - getting angry on a whim, tying him up and leaving him alone, no different than how one would treat a common male consort!  

Qi Xiao also knew why Bairen was angry. He said gently, "I originally just wanted to call you here today to give you a bit of a scare. I'm really afraid that you'll accidentally give the emperor leverage against you. My power is not yet fully established, I still can't openly defy him. If anything happens to you, even if I use all my strength, we'll both end up ruined. What am I to do then?!"

Before Bairen could respond, Qi Xiao laughed bitterly, "I have a bad temper and was already somewhat angry to begin with. Then you deliberately tried to take this back. I couldn't control myself in the moment. Alright, don't cry anymore. In the end, it's all my fault. If you're still angry, keep biting me, okay?"

Bairen's eyes brimmed with tears as he choked out, "I arranged everything... very carefully. Nothing will go wrong..."

"I know, I know." Qi Xiao sighed softly, "But next time... it's better if you tell me about such things in advance, I'll take care of it for you, and even if something goes wrong, it'll be my..."

"What next time?!" Bairen glared fiercely at Qi Xiao, "We're breaking up now..."

Qi Xiao laughed in spite of himself and kept coaxing, "Don't make a fuss, if you break up with me, where else will I find such a treasure... Alright, I was really wrong today, I'll make it up to you again, Your Highness the Prince, please forgive me this time for the sake of my young age and lack of parental guidance, okay?"

Bairen wanted to refute again, but seeing Qi Xiao even mentioning his own lack of parents, he suddenly had no words and felt wronged again, turning his head away and ignoring Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao sighed, carefully hugging Bairen and whispered, "Still feeling uncomfortable? Alright... You lie down first, let me check if your ankles are injured from the restraints."

Qi Xiao pulled over a soft pillow for Bairen to lean on, and he sat on the bed himself, pulling Bairen's feet onto his lap, rolling up his pant legs and carefully examining.

Perhaps Bairen had kicked too hard, the injuries on his ankles were even worse than those on his wrists. Qi Xiao's heart ached and he carefully applied medicine. Bairen freed his hands and tried to untie the life talisman again. Qi Xiao pressed his hand and smiled bitterly, "Bairen... be good and listen..."

Bairen's eyes were filled with tears as he said hoarsely, "Still... still give it to you, if you don't like it anymore, just throw it away, I... this is the first time I've given this to someone, to have it thrown back, what does it count as..."

Seeing the purple bruises on Bairen's slender ankles and hearing Bairen say this, Qi Xiao's eyes instantly reddened. He took a deep breath, turned his head to apply more ointment, rubbed it in his palm and gently pressed it on Bairen's ankles. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "You think... it's not my first time either?"

Qi Xiao gently massaged Bairen's injured area and said hoarsely, "Bairen, this is the first time I've fallen in love with someone, there are many things I don't quite understand yet, I'm just following my own heart in wanting to treat you well, but sometimes... I unintentionally hurt you. Bairen, I dare not make other promises, but what happened today will absolutely never happen again."

Qi Xiao removed his hand and lowered his head to kiss Bairen's clean ankle.

Bairen seemed to be scalded and abruptly withdrew his foot, but Qi Xiao acted as if nothing had happened, pulled over his other leg, rolled up the pant leg, took some more ointment, and continued applying medicine for him.

Bairen stared blankly at Qi Xiao, his mind in a whirl, then looked at the tightly tied life talisman around his waist, slowly... he wasn't so angry anymore.

Bairen almost felt that he had gone dizzy and misheard earlier, did Qi Xiao say to him... that he was in love with him? Bairen had more or less guessed that Qi Xiao had some feelings for him, but he never thought that Qi Xiao would actually say it out loud.

Before long, the medicine was applied. Qi Xiao pulled over a silk handkerchief to wipe his hands, stood up to kiss Bairen's forehead, turned around and left.

Bairen was alone in the inner room, stunned for a moment, dazedly curling up his legs and touching the place where Qi Xiao had just kissed.

"Bairen..." Qi Xiao brought in a small exquisite food box, placed it beside the couch, opened it and took out a bowl of bird's nest, saying in a low voice, "You didn't eat dinner either, you're probably still angry now, eating forcefully will only hurt your body. Drink some bird's nest congee first to fill your stomach. I've instructed that the kitchen stove is not to be emptied tonight, whenever you wake up hungry at night, they'll cook then."

By this time, Bairen was also feeling a bit hungry. He took the congee bowl and slowly ate.

Bairen glanced at Qi Xiao and hesitated before saying softly, "You probably didn't eat dinner either... I see there's also a bowl of steamed egg in the food box, you... you should eat some."

Qi Xiao paused, walked over to sit beside Bairen, and tentatively asked softly, "Bairen... you're not angry with me anymore?"

Bairen turned his head to place the congee bowl on the small table beside the couch, pursed his lips and said, "I was also at fault for what happened today, in the future... let's not mention it anymore."

Qi Xiao's heart felt both sour and sweet, he gently hugged Bairen, lowered his head to kiss his forehead heavily, and said in a deep voice, "No, we should mention it often in the future, remind me at all times..."

Bairen felt very uncomfortable and said softly, "Also, this... I can't wear it, it's not that I'm still angry, it's just... I can't wear it."

Bairen untied the life talisman and gently caressed the talisman characters on it. Qi Xiao hesitated for a moment and had an idea in mind, nodding, "Alright... Does it still hurt here?"

Qi Xiao gently stroked Bairen's wrists. Bairen wanted to say it didn't hurt, but seeing Qi Xiao's pained and remorseful appearance, he couldn't help but want him to be more careful with him, so he said softly, "A little."

Qi Xiao's hands became even gentler, slowly rubbing the bruised area. Bairen had gotten angry and lost his temper, and had been tied up by Qi Xiao for two hours. Now that he relaxed, he only felt very tired. Leaning against Qi Xiao's chest, slowly, he fell asleep.